Creating a Mathematical Theory of Computer Networks

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Abstract

It all began with a comic book! At the age of 6, I was reading a Superman comic at my apartment in Manhattan when, in the centerfold, I found plans for building a crystal radio. To do so, I needed my father’s used razor blade, a piece of pencil lead, an empty toilet paper roll, and some wire, all of which I had no trouble obtaining. In addition, I needed an earphone, which I promptly appropriated from a public telephone booth. The one remaining part was something called a “variable capacitor. ” For this, I convinced my mother to take me on the subway down to Canal Street, the center for radio electronics. Upon arrival to one of the shops, I boldly walked up to the clerk and proudly asked to purchase a variable capacitor, whereupon the clerk replied with, “what size do you want? ” This blew my cover, and I confessed that I not only had no idea what size, but I also had no idea what the part was for in the first place. After explaining why I wanted one, the clerk sold me just what I needed. I built the crystal radio and was totally hooked when “free ” music came through the earphones—no batteries, no power, all free! An engineer was born, and the seeds for the Internet technology were sown. I spent the next few years cannibalizing discarded radios as I sharpened my electronics skills. I went to the legendary Bronx High School of Science and appended my studies with courses in radio engineering. When the time came to go to college, I found I could not afford to attend, even at the tuition-free City College of New York (CCNY), so I enrolled in their evening session program in electrical engineering while working full time as an electronics technician/engineer and bringing a solid paycheck home to my parents. My work and college training were invaluable